diff --git a/context/context.go b/context/context.go
index f331e5c78..a00cd4ebe 100644
--- a/context/context.go
+++ b/context/context.go
@@ -112,7 +112,7 @@ func (r *ResolvedRemotes) BaseRepo(io *iostreams.IOStreams) (ghrepo.Interface, e
 	}
 
 	// determine corresponding git remote
-	owner, repo, _ := strings.Cut(baseName, "/")
+	owner, repo, _ := cut(baseName, "/")
 	selectedRepo := ghrepo.New(owner, repo)
 	resolution := "base"
 	remote, _ := r.RemoteForRepo(selectedRepo)
@@ -184,3 +184,10 @@ func (r *ResolvedRemotes) RemoteForRepo(repo ghrepo.Interface) (*Remote, error)
 	}
 	return nil, errors.New("not found")
 }
+
+func cut(s, sep string) (before, after string, found bool) {
+	if i := strings.Index(s, sep); i >= 0 {
+		return s[:i], s[i+len(sep):], true
+	}
+	return s, "", false
+}
diff --git a/pkg/cmd/repo/default/default.go b/pkg/cmd/repo/default/default.go
index 0bc53217a..0418adaf0 100644
--- a/pkg/cmd/repo/default/default.go
+++ b/pkg/cmd/repo/default/default.go
@@ -150,7 +150,7 @@ func defaultRun(opts *DefaultOptions) error {
 				return err
 			}
 
-			owner, repo, _ := strings.Cut(selectedName, "/")
+			owner, repo, _ := cut(selectedName, "/")
 			selectedRepo = ghrepo.New(owner, repo)
 		}
 	}
@@ -202,3 +202,10 @@ func setDefaultRepo(remote *context.Remote, resolution string) error {
 func unsetDefaultRepo(remote *context.Remote) error {
 	return git.UnsetRemoteResolution(remote.Name)
 }
+
+func cut(s, sep string) (before, after string, found bool) {
+	if i := strings.Index(s, sep); i >= 0 {
+		return s[:i], s[i+len(sep):], true
+	}
+	return s, "", false
+}